Defense was the focal point for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2020 offseason. Donnie Nelson traded away the second most efficient 3-point shooter in NBA history for a potential defensive stopper in Josh Richardson. Unfortunately, Dallas’ defense hasn’t improved, and his place in the rotation is in question.
Following the 127-113 victory over the Miami Heat, Rick Carlisle addressed lineup changes during the contest.
“It’s been rare that I started a different group to start the second half. I usually go back to the starters, but it was clear to me tonight those guys needed to be out there. They earned it.”
Josh Green to the stage
After 12 minutes of basketball, indicative of the underwhelming performance, change was necessary. Falling behind 30-39 to an injury-riddled Heat squad triggered a drastic change in the lineup. Although Rick Carlisle’s doghouse doesn’t physically exist, rookie Josh Green must have seen the blueprint.
If you need proof, look no further than the 26 DNPs on Green’s Basketball-Reference profile.
In a why-the-hell-not moment, Carlisle inserted the minute-hungry rookie, and miraculously, the defensive tone switched. Despite Miami’s red-hot first quarter, the Heat missed four consecutive shots to open the second period. Although the shift of tides doesn’t all fall on Green’s hands, the injection of desperate energy provided a boost in play.
During the second quarter, in which Green’s coming-of-age rookie game came to fruition, Carlisle’s decision incited more fuel to the “Give Richardson’s minutes to Green” take. Despite such a fiery stance, all blame is not on Richardson’s doorstep for his lack of defensive influence. However, disregarding Green’s direct impact would be an irresponsible train of thought.
Carlisle has a knack for making elite-level in-game adjustments. Perhaps spinning a complete 180 degrees by starting an unproven rookie for the second half provided a glimpse of what’s to come this postseason. The numbers with Green in the lineup versus the Heat only added kerosene to the flames of Mavericks’ Twitter.
In Green’s 23:40 minutes of action, the Mavericks registered a +17 plus-minus with the rookie on the court- per Instatsport.
Whether or not Green’s eyebrow-raising defensive influence repeats itself, the performance surely received Carlisle’s attention.
Dallas Mavericks are finding fluidity
Unlike last season’s record-breaking offense, the Mavericks offense tends to stick in place. Without pointing fingers, fewer shooters on the floor make for a gorilla glue offense. However, sacrificing offense for playoff defense was the tradeoff. Again, the Mavericks’ offseason tactics don’t correlate with defensive metrics.
By inserting Green, and the Mavericks excelling in doing so, Richardson felt the pressure of Carlisle’s contemplation of shuffling the rotation. Leading up to the contest with the Heat, Carlisle mentioned fluidity in the lineup. After the game, the same description came up in a postgame interview with Richardson.
Richardson’s response:
“I don’t anticipate fluidity, but it is what it is. Josh played hard. That group that finished the first half brought a different energy.”
Sliding doors with Josh Richardson
Despite the game’s outcome and the action that inspired this article, the quotes don’t insinuate any legitimate beef between coach and player. In all fairness, Josh Richardson spoke highly of Green and also expressed happiness for the rookie. However, if Green’s growing presence in the lineup continues, Richardson comes as the odd man out of the equation.
Despite a potential superstar-less 2021 free-agent class, there are a few teams with a max slot. Where Richardson fits in that scheme remains to be seen. However, if he resurrects to his Heat days in the playoffs, where his defensive prowess ideally comes to life, perhaps Richardson declines his player option to enter the open market.
Without entirely changing the subject to offseason discussion, the possible insertion of Green opens pandora’s box to the infamous Mavericks’ chances in NBA free agency. Financial and on-court implications play out if Richardson fails to maintain his spot in the lineup.
In his time with the Mavericks, Carlisle endured some tense moments of rebellion, notably Rajon Rondo. Richardson doesn’t fall into the Rondo stratosphere of coach-player disagreement by any means. Yet, in the same breath, respectfully, Richardson doesn’t have the same pull as anyone who’s come to odds with Carlisle.
Making the pieces fit
Josh Richardson hasn’t capitalized on sharing the court with Luka Doncic, invoking critique and frustration from Mavericks’ fans. Unorthodox shooting form aside, Richardson’s shooting percentages fail to help the offense. Where Richardson does succeed, however, lies in the paint. Specifically, zero to three feet from the basket.
Richardson excels in finishing with athletic layups and unorthodox finishes at a career-high 68 percent. Unfortunately, for Richardson, that only makes up 15 percent of his shooting range which doesn’t coincide with the Mavericks’ game plan.
In a down year, all is not lost. Although Richardson falls short in recovering from getting caught by screens, he has bright moments in other areas. His lengthy wingspan allows flexibility on defense. However, despite his athletic build, the defense doesn’t feature him as the top priority. With Dorian Finney-Smith as Carlisle’s go-to defender, Richardson doesn’t find himself guarding the best players on opposing teams.
Potentially, he has a shot at redemption leading into the playoffs. Since the down night versus Miami, Richardson is averaging over two steals a game. Yet, until Richardson performs at a consistent level, he has no leverage in lineup placement.
All stats appear courtesy of Basketball-Reference and Instatsport.
